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It was the sensible defensive play, emphatic dunk and technical foul that recommended Ben Simmons had a degree to show in opposition to James Harden and his Brooklyn Nets.
As Harden moved the ball up the ground and tried to create a scoring alternative through the third quarter of the Nets-76ers conflict on the Wells Fargo Centre, Simmons pinched the ball from Harden’s grasp.
The Australian star then sprinted down the courtroom, leapt over Nets guard Tyler Johnson and slammed the ball via the basket simply earlier than three quarter-time.
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Simmons was pumped. So pumped he flexed and screamed in Johnson’s course post-dunk.
His actions resulted in a technical foul. Nevertheless it didn’t appear to hassle Simmons if his post-game tweet — that includes 4 pictures of the dunk and celebration — was something to go by.
Simmons completed with 16 factors, 12 rebounds, eight assists and three steals, whereas Joel Embiid added 33 factors and 9 boards, as his 76ers recorded their fifth win in six video games, defeating the Nets 124-108.
It comes just a few months after Simmons was central to a surprising reported commerce — which by no means eventuated — that will’ve seen Harden be a part of Philadelphia by way of the Houston Rockets. As a substitute, he landed on the Nets alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
On Sunday (AEDT), Simmons took on Harden and the Nets, who have been with out Durant and Irving — and had the final chortle.
Harden additionally had a close to triple-double, registering 26 factors, 10 assists and eight rebounds. Nevertheless it was Simmons’ intent on the courtroom that made him a standout.
After lacking the 76ers’ final sport to Portland with a good calf muscle, Simmons performed with ample aggression from the outset of the sport, highlighted by his third-quarter dunk on Johnson.
It’s in all probability additionally why 76ers coach Doc Rivers needed to maintain Simmons off Harden within the first half, admitting post-game he didn’t need Simmons racking up early fouls and utilizing up an excessive amount of power. However when Simmons spent extra time Harden within the second half, Rivers mentioned it “modified the sport for certain”.
Rivers post-game mentioned Simmons was “invaluable to a basketball group”.
“I feel it’s a must to coach him and be round him to see his worth, he invaluable to a basketball group. Not solely together with his defence and passing however simply so many little issues he does which are simply invaluable,” Rivers mentioned.
“It’s wonderful what he single-handedly does to your offence. I don’t know if anyone within the league creates threes like Ben Simmons does.”
Locked in a 79-all tie with 5.15 left within the third, the Nets unravelled because the Sixers closed the interval on a 23-7 run. The Nets by no means challenged within the fourth.
“Philly is likely one of the high groups within the league,” Nets coach Steve Nash mentioned earlier than his group fell to 14-11. “Joel (Embiid) is a monster, can play in and out, makes his teammates higher defensively, offensively.
“Ben (Simmons) is such a novel expertise they usually have shooters and expertise round them this 12 months. In order that they put you in a whole lot of positions which are very tough to defend. And we’re going to should be actually sharp, make as few errors as potential for us to place ourselves able to win.”
Granted, this 76ers beginning line-up is undefeated up to now this season, and the Nets’ line-up was decimated.
MVP candidate Kevin Durant was beginning a seven-day contact-tracing quarantine that may also value him the Nets’ midweek back-to-back video games on the Pistons and versus the Pacers. And Kyrie Irving was out with a proper index finger sprain. Each stars have been sorely missed.
— with New York Post
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